Anyone transferring/withdrawing qantas points?

[oz_mark]

Not yet. But I will be reviewing things as events unfold.

 

[Lomandriel]

One message you see on these boards from time to time is the idea that “the only good point is a used point”, and it’s pretty solid advice.

When you hold a hoard of unredeemed points, you are essentially an unsecured creditor. Actually you’re below that, since the points can be unilaterally devalued at any time.

They can also be made more difficult to actually redeem for anything remotely useful. It’s pretty rare to get an international flight redemption that is exactly what you want, especially when there’s multiple travellers or a popular route/season.

One thing that I suspect will change after all this, is a lot of people will get off the bandwagon of chasing status and points with airlines, hotel chains etc.

This was partly the reason I was asking about Qantas. Having seen Amex do the devaluation - albeit we got time /warning, it still puts into spotlight now with Virgin, and the airline industry that you can be left with a small window gap to redeem (amongst all the others rushing for the exit) your points if things change overnight. In my case I was forced to move amex points before the devaluation and in doing so it went into Virgin. And now lo' and behold the virgin fiasco means these are now being burnt on gift cards. Obviously when I first racked up points on Amex i tried my hardest to build points balances for these flight redemptions, and just never got around to it.

It makes you think twice I guess of whether hoarding alot of points is worth the risk of having the gameplay changed around you. We did get one Qantas One world award flights in Feb-March, cut short by Covid, but it required us being flexible enough to plan a holiday in Scandinavia around the award flights. Keeping in mind it was winter and most here said not to go , it would be miserable etc. - so I presume demand from other flyers was low. Winter scandinavia was fine for us as the sights are different then (would be nice to be warm, but seeing the same sights, but alas you can't see a winter scenery without the cold!)

I can imagine finding award flights to anywhere remotely popular i.e. italy, europe, America etc. would be extremely difficult, as even our Scandinavian one required moving the odd day or two forward or backwards to find an award flight - and these weren't even popular routes. The worst part is these cabins were quite often with spare seats (maybe as Feb-march kicked in some cancelled due to covid, but I don't think many were worried in Mid feb when we left, it kicked in around March) and so I found that award seats are really the bottom of the rung i.e. if the partners dont release it, then you can't fly that route. We would find many seats on a partner's route but none of which were award seats or available.

So it makes me wonder with paying all the annual fees, which I could do a fee free credit card, am I really getting 'value' out of trying to accumulate 200,300,400k points? We aren't even hitting the points big, whereas some of you here have million and millions of points. I don't know how you do it haha - but an enviable job, i presume through points and promos and that no one actually earns these points solely through everyday points on purchases?

I guess i a $300 card gets me 120k points I can argue that's still 6 x $100 gift cards, but may need to review paying annual fees just to get points going forward.

 

[Lomandriel]

I guess also many here are a higher status. I am on the default status (bronze?) and never took the time to learn the system so I presume I am far below the pyramid of pickings on flights... so for the rest of us it makes a bit of a moot point keeping too much points in balance.

As someone said, a point is only earnt when spent and I know many with virgin have taken the route of if i lose the points it was never really a loss to begin with, as it was intended for seat redemptions. But in the end these points "could" be redeemed for hundreds of dollars in gift cards, so I find it hard to ignore the fact that you are risking in fact a monetary opportunity (redeeming on coughpier redemption rate items).

One thing that worries me of keeping these points - it already was hard enough getting award seats. When the world comes out of its airline slumber, how many are going to want to release award seats for partners? Surely they will be keeping seats for paid customers. I have a feeling that the game will change on that end, which will force lower status members and the majority to struggle to find flights anyway.

Perhaps I am being pessimistic, but it's hard to imagine with airlines struggling that 2020-2021 will have much award seat availability.

I must say - at least with virgin the pay with points option for a domestic flight seems abit more attainable. But business seats on a qantas plane or partner will be a struggle. I'm not a regular or well versed in travel hacks so I presume I will be beaten to the finish line by the more well informed and higher status members for the next few years as travel tries to rebound.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

Just hoping everything stays as is for a booking i'm planning to make in June (for travel the following June)

 

[tomlee1986]

I am leaving my Qantas points as is at the moment

 

[albatross710]

When the world comes out of its airline slumber, how many are going to want to release award seats for partners? Surely they will be keeping seats for paid customers.

Assuming they can find paying customers then there will also be award seats as the long haul flights are unlikely to be full of paying pax. For qantas an award redemption mean someone is also helping cover the operating taxes. An award can also mean tag flights plus hotels and transfers.

of all the points and miles I've had over the year I feel fortunate at the moment

QF 40,000 + $148 flight credit
VA 217

 

[Franky]

I guess also many here are a higher status. I am on the default status (bronze?) and never took the time to learn the system so I presume I am far below the pyramid of pickings on flights... so for the rest of us it makes a bit of a moot point keeping too much points in balance.

As someone said, a point is only earnt when spent and I know many with virgin have taken the route of if i lose the points it was never really a loss to begin with, as it was intended for seat redemptions. But in the end these points "could" be redeemed for hundreds of dollars in gift cards, so I find it hard to ignore the fact that you are risking in fact a monetary opportunity (redeeming on coughpier redemption rate items).

One thing that worries me of keeping these points - it already was hard enough getting award seats. When the world comes out of its airline slumber, how many are going to want to release award seats for partners? Surely they will be keeping seats for paid customers. I have a feeling that the game will change on that end, which will force lower status members and the majority to struggle to find flights anyway.

Perhaps I am being pessimistic, but it's hard to imagine with airlines struggling that 2020-2021 will have much award seat availability.

I must say - at least with virgin the pay with points option for a domestic flight seems abit more attainable. But business seats on a qantas plane or partner will be a struggle. I'm not a regular or well versed in travel hacks so I presume I will be beaten to the finish line by the more well informed and higher status members for the next few years as travel tries to rebound.

Feel your pain, and one thing you picked out (status) will certainly count against you.

 

[Austman]

Just hoping everything stays as is for a booking i'm planning to make in June (for travel the following June)

Fingers crossed. But I think that's probably the best decision at the moment. Get a reward seat at the current points cost for travel (hopefully) well after the virus pandemic is over.

That reward travel will be the same after the end of the pandemic is IMO wishful thinking.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

Fingers crossed. But I think that's probably the best decision at the moment. Get a reward seat at the current points cost for travel (hopefully) well after the virus pandemic is over.

That reward travel will be the same after the end of the pandemic is IMO wishful thinking.

Agreed, just hope they honour it

 

[Austman]

Agreed, just hope they honour it

Once ticketed, I suspect Qantas will honour it. Or a variation of it, based on the actuality of operating flights ...

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

Once ticketed, I suspect Qantas will honour it. Or a variation of it, based on the actuality of operating flights ...

yea i can just see paying $1,300 and 260,000 points and them downgrading me for the new 'difference' where I get 40,000 points back and 60 hours in economy coughKING fuming, I am that guy.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I was looking to spend some points on wine, and not for drinking straight away plan is to store it or gift it in the future.

 

[Franky]

I was looking to spend some points on wine, and not for drinking straight away plan is to store it or gift it in the future.

And being a Shocker’s supporter, your good red may well turn to vinegar by the time you have reason to celebrate a premiership!

 

[jakeseven7]

Haven’t touched my QF points and no plans to.

VA points all burned though- Except 25, can’t work out what to spend my last 25 points on

 

[JohnK]

Poor planning and strategy has left me close to 1 million QFF points. Has never been easy to get premium award seats to Thailand for exact dates of travel and I suspect that won't change. Which leaves economy and that's never a good use of points going to Thailand.

If I'm not mistaken would these points be worth ~$5000 in gift cards? Not great value but certainly worth a thought if things don't improve. I'm not very hopeful for my ~200,000 Velocity points.

 

[exceladdict]

I've spent most of mine.

While I'm 100% confident that Qantas as an airline will survive, I'm not so confident about Qantas Frequent Flyer.

And if QFF does survive, I'm expecting points to be devalued especially when used in their usually most cost effective way eg for award seats and upgrades.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago I'm a bit scared of an Airpoints scenario. If anyone does take ownership in a chunk of VA or QF, they won't want the liability/unearned income of everyone's balances and I imagine would look to trim it, and quickly. Pure conjecture of course but not impossible.

All of my VA points were gone before limits were applied, and about 60% of QF.

 

[RichardMEL]

JohnK - why not get premium seats to SIN for you and your family which are obviously going to be easier to get, then jump on any number of options into Thailand from there?

 

[JohnK]

JohnK - why not get premium seats to SIN for you and your family which are obviously going to be easier to get, then jump on any number of options into Thailand from there?

That's a possibility but that still has it's own complications as I'd need to be bound by dates where seats are available that may not exactly fit my plans.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

That's a possibility but that still has it's own complications as I'd need to be bound by dates where seats are available that may not exactly fit my plans.

I see it as basically either:

Flexible with seats
or
Flexible with dates (if only slightly)

just me chipping in my unasked for 2c

 

[JohnK]

I see it as basically either:

Flexible with seats
or
Flexible with dates (if only slightly)

just me chipping in my unasked for 2c

It's been quite some time where I've lost interest in frequent flyer programs. I enjoy status benefits but find trying to redeem points too difficult so the availability on dates I want travel is more important.

The stupid mistake I made was not using points for domestic flights as there was quite a saving to be had there. Ah for hindsight.